We run. We jump. We swim and play. We row and go on trips
But the things that last forever… are our dear friendships
Camp Anawanna, we hold you in our hearts.
And when we think about you (it makes me wanna fart!)
It’s ‘I hope we never part’. Now get it right or pay the price.
Now we will share a lifetime of the fondest memories.
By the lakes of Anawanna.. Sat in the old pine trees.
Camp Anawa-.., we hold you in our hearts.
And when we think ab-.. (this thing came apart)
Think Anawanna-wanna, speak Anawanna-wanna..
Live Anawanna-wanna! Ugh!

Salute Your Shorts was based on the book Salute Your Shorts: Life at Summer Camp written by Steve Slavkin, and who later was the producer of the show. Debuting in 1991, Salute Your Shorts featured seven campers attending Camp Anawana. It was actually filmed in Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California.

Their counselor Kevin “Ug” Lee continued to look for ways of punishing the group. In the first episode, Bobby Budnick steals the new camper Michael’s boxer shorts and raises them on the flag pole. Hence the name, Salute Your Shorts!

Oddly enough there were only 2 seasons and 26 episodes. For whatever reason I feel like there were many more but guess not. It seems in 1992 MTV bought Nickelodeon and needed to make room (funding) for an animated show titled Bevis & Butthead. Salute Your Shorts has yet to be released on DVD but there are a few online petitions asking for them to be put out. There are also multiple Facebook fan pages. Fittingly it turns out the majority of fansites and photos were hosted on Geocities and most all of the stuff is gone now.

Kevin “Ug the Counselor” Lee – Kirk Baily

The 57-year-old Baily has continued to work in the movie industry. He has done quite a bit of voice acting including Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, .hack//, Over the Hedge and Open Season. He did a small bit of TV work as Magnus Hanson on Star Trek: Voyager, Felicity, Sisters and NYPD Blue. He has done some film work with roles in 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain, Houseguest and The Sixth Man. In 2007 he did the voice of Ted Murphy for a web series Afterworld.

Z.Z. Ziff – Megan Berwick

The 30-year-old did a small amount of acting after the show most notably The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom. She went to college, moved to China and lived in Cambodia for some time. She has since moved back to Los Angeles (and also has residence in San Francisco where she’s from) and lives with her cat Spike. She is currently working at MTV Networks doing TV and Ad sales. She is interested in getting back into the industry. There is an hour long interview with her that can be heard here. She also did some work with www.kiva.org traveling to Chad Africa to help them find people in need of micro-financing.

Eddie “Donkeylips” C. Gelfen – Michael Ray Bower

The 35-year-old Bower is currently living in North Hollywood and is still acting here and there. As a note he was acting prior to Salute Your Shorts in small roles on The Wonder Years, Doogie Howser, Empty Nest and Webster. Since the show he has been on X-Files, Becker, CSI, Friends, Monk and was in Evolution and Dude Where’s My Car. He is also in a hilarious short on Funny or Die, Dinner with Raphael. He’s fairly accessible online via either his MySpace fan page or his Twitter. He has also put together a few nostalgic videos including these outtakes from the show. There is also a short interview with him on College Humor and one on Ink19.

Robert “Bobby” Budnick – Danny Cooksey

The 35-year-old is currently living in Los Angeles. Prior to Salute Your Shorts he was on Diff’rent Strokes, The Dukes of Hazard, Belvedere, MacGyver and Tim in Terminator 2. After the show he has continued in the industry doing a lot of voice acting including Tiny Toon Adventures, Invader Zim, Z Squad, Super Ted, Ren & Stimpy, 101 Dalmatians: The Series and Meet the Robinsons. He has had a few bands including Bad4Good, Arbuckle’s and Lucy’s Milk which he was the lead vocalist of. He is married and has one child.

Telly Radford – Venus DeMilo Thomas

After the show she continued acting finding small roles in Family Matters, The Bold and the Beautiful, Sister, Sister, Judging Amy, Meet the Hughleys and Smart Guy. She was able to put herself through college with her early acting success.

She currently lives in Los Angeles and is seeking acting roles. She has recently directed and edited a music video “Heaven and Hell” for singer Colleen Lovejoy from her new album Songbook. She has both a MySpace page and a Facebook. There is 20 minute interview with her on YouTube from May of 2009.

Sponge Harris – Trevor “Tim” Eyster

After the show his only real acting gig was on Babylon 5. In high school he maintained a computer bulletin board “Pacific Island BBS”. At the age of 16, in May of 1996 he became a emancipated minor, he is now 30 years old.

As an adult he got a job as a flight attendant for United Airlines and traveled the world a bit including Brazil, Japan, Britain, Switzerland, Germany and Costa Rica. He also managed to get his California real estate license. He became interested in ham radios as a hobby. He currently lives in Chicago and has taken a fancy to singing as Fiercecalm where he mainly does covers including “I’m On Fire” by Bruce Springsteen, “How do you Keep Love Alive?” by Ryan Adams, “The Scientist” by Coldplay and “Baker, Baker” by Tori Amos. He has considered getting back into acting recently. He has a Facebook fan page and there is a pretty long interview on Millionaire Playboy titled “I Am Sponge.”

Dina Alexander – Heidi Lucas

The 32 year old is currently living in Glendale, California working as an attorney. After the show she did a small amount of acting in Saved by the Bell: The New Class, Boy Meets World, The Wayans Brothers and Hypernauts. She graduated from the Indiana University School of Law in 2005. She also fluent in French and Chinese. There is a MySpace fan page up.

Michael Stein – Erik MacArthur

The 33 year old pretty much stepped out of acting after one season on Salute Your Shorts moving back to Hawaii with his family (where he grew up). In the late 90s he decided to get back in the business and was in Pleasantville and We Were Soliders. He wrote, directed and starred in a short film “Life Makes Sense if You’re Famous” that starred some of his buddies Paul Walker, Scott Caan and Desemond Harrington. He directed his first feature film Bottoms Up in 2006 which starred Jason Mewes and with a cameo by Kevin Smith.

Ronald “Ronnie” Foster Pinksy – Blake Soper/Blake Sennett

After the show he did some further acting with roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 3rd Rock From the Sun and Boy Meets World. The 33 year old is currently living in Los Angeles and is lead guitarist for the indie rock band Rilo Kiley and the lead singer and guitarist for The Elected. Both bands have received high critical acclaim and enjoyed modest success although neither currently have plans for the future. He composed the score for the film Don’s Plum but because of a lawsuit it was only released as a Region 2 DVD. We was dating/engaged to actress Winona Ryder for nearly a year but in August of 2008 the couple split up. In 2009 he wrote and directed Water Pills starring Winona.

When i was young i watched the show and it was so funny and cool and the grils look so nice and when the dance show went on the air i was thinking about being on the show but i was not tall at the time but on i m tall .Z.Z. Ziff – Megan Berwick

Dina Alexander – Heidi Lucas Telly Radford – Venus DeMilo Thomas they look so nice when the show started and when show ended. so thank you Z.Z. Ziff – Megan Berwick Dina Alexander – Heidi Lucas Telly Radford – Venus DeMilo Thomas for every thing on the show from Mike J Riggs

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